Her Worst Nightmares
by twist-tin
Summary: Hermione simply wants to keep Ginny and herself safe during the Final Battle, but the Room of Requirement has something else in mind for her. When she leaves the room, she notices that there is something different about Hogwarts. TomHermione.
1. In the Heat of the Battle

A/N: This chapter was updated 7/8/07. No important details have changed, just minor things that will hopefully make for a smoother read.

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To say Hermione's summer after sixth year was normal would be a complete lie. A normal summer would consist of travelling back home to see her parents, rereading _Hogwarts: A History_, and visiting Ron and Harry either at the Burrow or Grimmauld Place. This is not what happened. Hermione had spent the majority of her summer on a search to locate and destroy the final horcruxes that kept Voldemort alive. The search had been both dangerous and difficult, taking them all over England. 

Hermione groaned as she rolled over in her bed, falling in a heap on the floor.

"Oh good, Hermione, you're awake," Mrs. Weasley said. Despite the effects of the war, she tried to keep a cheerful appearance around the kids. "Harry and Ron are already downstairs eating breakfast."

Hermione looked around at the gloomy walls of the bedroom she had lived in for the past three summers. She sighed as she remembered all that had changed since she first arrived before beginning to switch out of her nightdress.

As she walked down the stairs to find Harry and Ron, the dreary halls of Grimmauld Place reminded Hermione of their mission for the summer and the upcoming battle. The dark magic that had been used in the house for centuries radiated off the walls.

"Morning, Mione," Ron called, "has Mum told you yet?"

Hermione shook her head tiredly. She had been up later than the boys, trying to find ways to locate the two final horcruxes. One of them was still a complete mystery to the Golden Trio.

"We get to spend the last day before school cleaning out this nasty excuse for a home," Ron obviously wasn't happy about his mother's choice of activities.

"I thought we weren't going back to school," Hermione said.

"Must have forgotten to tell you that too," Ron added. He seemed quite annoyed. "Mum's making us go back."

"It isn't a bad idea, Ron," Harry countered, "So far, all of Voldemort's horcruxes have been in places of importance to him. I'd say Hogwarts was pretty important. Plus, maybe we can find something about the founders in the Restricted Section. We still don't even know what the final horcrux is!"

Ron still didn't seem pleased about returning to school, but resumed eating. Hermione on the other hand couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Her eyes lit up. While she had been ready and willing to follow Harry until Voldemort was destroyed, she was quite disappointed to have to turn down the position of Head Girl. She supposed it was possible now that she would be able to reclaim the title.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you have some parchment lying around?"

Both Ron and Harry seemed to know what she was thinking and began chuckling.

"What's so funny?"

"Mione, of course McGonagall will still give you the Head Girl position. How couldn't she," Harry pointed out.

"And why are you writing to her," Ron questioned, "She comes by at least once a day. She already knows we're coming back. She knew before us actually."

Mrs. Weasley set the parchment back where she had found it.

Hermione was a little embarrassed over how transparent she was. She realized that the boys only able to guess, however, because they knew her so well.

"Boys, why don't you start cleaning now? The drawing room is particularly dusty. Hermione will join you when she finishes."

The boys didn't seem particularly happy about having to start cleaning, but eventually stood up and cleared their plates from the table.

"Hermione." Mrs. Weasley enveloped Hermione in a hug as soon as the boys left the room, "my little girl."

Hermione wanted to point out that Ginny was in fact her daughter, but figured there was a reason the older woman had referred to her in such a way.

"I must say, it took some convincing, but Harry finally agreed. This war is hard on all of you even though none of you show it. You three have been deprived of so many of the things normal teenagers get to experience. Ron has experienced many of his dreams already. He made the quidditch team, he's a Prefect, and he's done more for the wizarding community than any of his brothers could dream of doing. I wanted to make sure you get to experience some of your dreams too."

Hermione still wasn't quite sure what Mrs. Weasley did for her, but suspected the answer would come soon as she noticed the tears falling down Mrs. Weasley's face.

"We can pretend all we want, but we don't have much time left before the final battle between the Order and the Dark Lord. It scares all of us to know that the three of you will be amongst the front lines. It scares us all to know that there's a chance some of us won't make it," Mrs. Weasley paused as a deep sob escaped her throat.

"I wanted you to experience some of your dreams now because there's a chance you won't be able to later. That's why I'm sending you back to school. You've worked so hard to become Head Girl. Even if you only stay at school for a few weeks, you should know what it feels like."

Hermione could feel the hot tears rolling down her cheeks by the end of Mrs. Weasley's confession. She didn't have much time to think about the meaningful gesture, however.

"Hermione, quick follow me." Ron burst into the room.

"Ron, can't it wait," she asked.

"No, it's important. Come on!" Ron left the room, expecting Hermione to follow him.

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and gave Mrs. Weasley a short hug before following Ron to the drawing room. She knew it was true. She might not get to see all her dreams come true. She might never have a true boyfriend, or a husband. She might never have kids. She might never become a Professor at Hogwarts. She was happy that she would be able to be Head Girl though.

"You won't believe what we found." Ron's voice dripped with excitement.

The pair entered the room and Hermione noticed Harry holding a small wooden jewellery box.

"Harry! Show her what's inside," Ron said.

Harry, who seemed to be in a state of shock, gave the box to Hermione. The dark mahogany box was lined with beautiful purple velvet, but what caught Hermione's attention was the piece of jewellery that sat inside. A beautiful silver locket, encrusted with tiny emeralds, lay delicately on the bottom. A snake slithered across the locket's surface in the shape of an S.

Hermione gasped.

"It's been here all along," she whispered, awestruck.

"Do you have the incantation to destroy this one?"

Hermione ran up to the room that she shared with Ginny and grabbed the sheet. She quickly returned to the room and handed the slip of parchment to Harry.

"Make sure you say it very clearly," she reminded, "Have you checked for curses that might be on it already?"

Harry nodded. Hermione gestured for him to continue.

"_Defaeco is vas ex malum_." A light around the necklace began to form._ "Quod restituo is ut exemplar decor_"

The light magnified greatly before finally subsiding. Hermione performed a series of spells before declaring that the necklace was now as safe as any normal piece of jewellery.

"Can you believe it?" Harry asked after the shock had finally passed. "We're almost done."

Hermione smiled, wishing those words were true. The diary and ring had been destroyed prior to Dumbledore's death and they had spent the first half of the summer searching for Hufflepuff's cup. Before returning to Grimmauld Place, they had finally found an ornate jewelled hair piece that belonged to Rowena and removed the fourth of Voldemort's horcruxes.

Now, the discovery of Slytherin's locket left them with only one horcrux before they could defeat Voldemort. But although they only had one horcrux left to find, there was no guarantee that their search was anywhere near over. They had been lucky to find three horcruxes in a matter of three months.

"This one is yours Hermione," Harry brought her out of her reverie as he gently began clipping the necklace around her neck.

"No, give it to Ginny," Hermione insisted, "besides, I already have something."

It was true. Hermione never took Rowena's blue jewel encrusted hair comb out from her hair.

"No, I want everything to stay between the three of us," Harry explained, "Ginny will understand."

"I swear," Ron muttered under his breath, "Godric's artefact better be something good. I'm the only one without something!"

"Poor Ron," laughed Harry and Hermione.

The rest of the day passed quickly. The trio did not mention their finding to the rest of the Weasleys or other Order members that passed in and out of the house. They had decided it was best to keep the information to themselves for the others' protection.

The group found out the next day that Mrs. Weasley had talked to Harry and Professor McGonagall prior to talking to Ron and Hermione. When they woke up the next morning, their trunks were fully packed with everything they would need for their seventh year. Ginny, who had stayed with the Lovegoods for the better part of the summer, returned on September the first to travel to King's Station with her family as did Luna.

Ginny immediately ran to Harry when she saw him. After Hermione's conversation with Mrs. Weasley the previous day, this simple act threatened to bring a fresh wave of tears to Hermione's eyes. She unconsciously moved closer to Ron, but the tall redhead was busy greeting Luna.

If there was one thing Hermione regretted about her years at Hogwarts, it was the friendships she had established. While she couldn't imagine life without Harry and Ron, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she had made friends with more students. Many people had assumed that she would one day end up married to one of her two friends, but as they got older, the possibility of that became more and more slim. And because of her lack of male friends in particular, Hermione had no clue where her life would take her.

Luckily, Neville joined the group on the train, evening the group out and giving Hermione a companion to talk to when Harry or Ron's attention was captured by their leading ladies.

"Welcome one and all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," McGonagall said after the Sorting ceremony had ended. "I'd like to mention a few reminders. The Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. For those students who care, a full list of punishable acts is available outside Mr. Filch's office. Finally, in light of recent events, we will not be having Hogsmeade weekends this year. Students who wish to make purchases should either contact a parent or a staff member."

There were groans throughout the hall, but they all disappeared as soon as the food came out.

"Blimey, mate," Ron exclaimed as he looked around the Great Hall. "Where is everyone?"

There was a significantly smaller number of students in the Great Hall. Slytherin's numbers were still high, but there were hardly any Hufflepuffs.

"Ron, isn't it obvious," Hermione questioned. "Voldemort is back and Dumbledore is dead."

"I just didn't realize that so many people wouldn't come back."

"People don't realize that, for the most part, it's safer here than it is at home. They think they can protect their family best."

"That's ridiculous!"

"The school is a target though," Harry chimed in. "Whether I'm here or not. Everyone knows Hogwarts is a target."

Harry couldn't have been more right. Unbeknownst to the majority of the wizarding population, Lord Voldemort was planning a battle. One that he hoped would end the war in his favour. All he had to do was wait for the opportune moment to strike.

"How we are supposed to find information on the Founders from these books," Ron asked frustrated, "none of them were written when the Founders were alive."

Between the three, Ron was the most frustrated with their frequent trips to the Hogwarts' library.

"Ron," Hermione started, "books can be very resourceful. If you read them more often, maybe you'd appreciate the amount of knowledge you can gain from them."

Sensing a fight, Harry stepped in, "Hermione, I don't think Ron is saying books aren't useful."

Ron gave a look that suggested otherwise causing Harry to kick him in the shin.

"I think he's means that we aren't going to find a book that lists items that were precious to each of the Founders," Harry reasoned, And we have to consider the possibility that it could be an heirloom of the Gryffindor family. It might not even have belonged to Gryffindor ever."

"Still, we found information about Ravenclaw's prized possession from a book," Hermione pointed out as she fingered the hair comb, "maybe something will come up."

The boys looked doubtful, but continued their search. The library became their second common room as their seventh year passed by. Hermione insisted that they spend every spare moment trying to find more information about the sixth horcrux. Unfortunately, their search wasn't getting very far. In the month and a half they had been in school, they had learned little more about the Founders than one could learn from reading Hogwarts: A History.

"Maybe it's the sword," Ron suggested after several minutes of silence, "You know, the one Harry pulled out of the Sorting Hat."

Hermione and Harry looked at Ron in annoyance.

"We understand that you want the sword Ron," Harry explained, "but I'm not testing it to see if it's a horcrux again. Seven times is enough."

Hermione just shook her head.

"First through third years, grab yer wands and follow me. Make sure ye get everyone out of this tower," Hagrid boomed as he rushed into the Gryffindor common room. It had been three weeks since the day in the library when Ron had suggested testing Godric's sword another time.

"Hagrid, what's going on?"

"We're under attack, Hermione," the giant whispered, "Fourth year and up, report to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall wishes to see ye all."

Harry, Ron and Hermione immediately left the common room and raced down to the first floor of the castle.

"Is this it?" Ron asked as he jumped over the trick step.

"Let's hope not, we haven't destroyed the last horcrux," Hermione reminded.

"Bloody hell, that's right. Oh, this is not good," Ron surmised.

"Harry, I had an idea."

"When don't you?"

Hermione marvelled at Ron's ability to criticize her intelligence even in grave situations.

"Well, what if his snake is the last horcrux? Think about it, it's always with him; that alone makes it well protected. Haven't you even said he seems to care about it greatly? It makes sense too; he's a parselmouth so why wouldn't a snake be his last horcrux?"

"She's brilliant."

"Let's hope," Harry stated. "This might be our last chance."

They finally arrived at the Great Hall and made their way through the crowd of students that had already arrived. The trio realized that no matter how insignificant the battle, they would be on the front lines. They found Ginny on their way there.

The look on McGonagall's face told them; however, that this would not be another insignificant battle.

"The rest of the Order has already been contacted, but we don't know when they'll be able to get here. The Ministry has put up anti-apparition wards in Hogsmeade as well so it could take a while."

"They do have someone working for the Ministry," Ron exclaimed.

"No, I contacted them as well. Although it doesn't help our side get here, it does stop more Death Eaters from arriving."

"What about Aurors? Can they portkey here?"

"Yes, some Aurors are already on the grounds fighting the Death Eaters," she explained. "Wait one minute; I have to address the other students."

They all seemed confused and scared so it seemed only right that McGonagall explained to them the reason they were summoned.

"Hogwarts is under siege." Cries could be heard throughout the hall. "I have called upon you older students to ask for your help. While we have the Ministry helping us, I am afraid we are still outnumbered. The teachers will join the fight and I hope some of you students will as well."

Many of the sixth and seventh years stood proudly; ready to defend their school and classmates.

"To those of you who do not wish to fight on the battlefield, I ask that you proceed to the kitchens. I have no doubt that a few of you can lead the way. The younger students are waiting there. Should things go terribly wrong, it will be up to you and a few select teachers to defend them. They need protection."

With that, the students began organizing into two groups. It surprised Hermione to see how they divided. Many students who she believed would fight joined the group heading to the kitchens. She was proud of their decision. Had she not been so deep in the war, she too might have gone to help console the younger students.

"Get into groups of five to seven people. No more. No less. Work as a team, you will accomplish more this way. As soon as you're ready, head out to the front lawn. I'm not sure how long the Aurors can hold them alone," McGonagall called out.

Harry, Ron and Hermione teamed up with Ginny, Neville and Luna. The group had formed before McGonagall had even advised them to. They hung behind as the other students began piling out of the Great Hall.

"Good luck," McGonagall wished. "Hopefully you won't need it."

"He's here then," Neville asked.

McGonagall simply nodded before leaving the Great Hall to take her place among the others representing the esteemed institution.

"Are you ready?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head and reached out to her. Over the summer they had grown apart, but it was obvious to Hermione and Ron that no one could comfort Harry better than Ginny.

"What if it doesn't work," Harry let out nervously. Hermione could see the fear in his eyes.

"It will work Harry, it has to," Ron asserted. Neville and Luna nodded their heads in agreement. Harry looked to Hermione.

"If it doesn't work, then let's hope there's a next time." She gave a soft smile.

"I don't want to lose any of you."

Hermione felt the hot tears falling down her face. She immediately grabbed Harry's hand. Ginny had already attached herself to his chest. Neville grabbed a shoulder, while Luna came up to hug Ginny from behind. Ron somehow managed to attach himself to everyone. They stood silently like that for several minutes, seemingly oblivious to the battle around them. Finally, Hermione spoke.

"When we get to Voldemort, take out the snake." Her voice was very shaky. "We think it might be the key to defeating Voldemort."

The group nodded.

"If something happens, where should we go?" Neville asked.

"The kitchens," Ron said.

"No, we don't want to give away their position," Ginny reminded. "If something happens I think we should either go to McGonagall's office, one of the tunnels out of the school, or the Room of Requirement. Go to whichever is the closest."

Hermione voiced her agreement.

Eventually they shifted from their position.

"Let's go," Harry said.

Most of the battle was a blur to Hermione. She remembered stunning and hexing many people, but that didn't explain how she ended back inside missing two-thirds of their group.

Bellatrix had caught up with Neville and showed him what his parents went through nearly seventeen years ago before hitting him with the killing curse. Luna had also met her untimely end.

"My, my. If it isn't the famous Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed as the group of four came face to face with the infamous Dark Lord in the middle of a dimly lit corridor.

"Riddle," Harry spat.

"I am Lord Voldemort," he roared, annoyed at the use of his birth name.

"And who did he bring with him? It's his two best friends. And is this the famous Ginerva Weasley I've heard all about?"

Ginny looked disgusted.

"Sectumsempra," Ginny shouted as she pointed her wand at Nagini.

At the same time, Harry yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

Voldemort seemed very displeased at the loss of his familiar.

"You shall pay for this, girl! This should have happened years ago," Voldemort pointed his wand at Ginny and shouted, "Malicio Sangrato!"

Ginny immediately fell to the ground. Ron rushed to her and began whimpering.

"No! Ginny!"

"Ron, Hermione go," Harry yelled.

"But Harry," Hermione protested.

"No, go," he instructed again, "Go to somewhere safe. I'll find you when this is over."

"But Harry," she cried again.

"Go now!"

Hermione tried to beg, but Ron began pulling her away. They were on the fourth floor and most of the fighting was on the lower floors. They decided to head for the Room of Requirement.

"Ron, we have to help Harry!"

"Hermione, if we stay, the same thing will happen to us." Hermione knew he was talking about what happened to Ginny.

"Ron! We can't just run away!"

"Harry wants us to be safe. That's how we can help."

"Go yourself then! I'm not leaving Harry alone and I'm not leaving Ginny. She wasn't hit with the Killing curse, there's still a chance to save her.

Ron angrily stomped off in the direction of the moving staircases. Hermione couldn't believe his stubbornness. She couldn't believe that he walked off on his own in the middle of a battle.

"Ron!"

Hermione was torn between going to help Harry and Ginny and going after Ron. She knew in the back of her mind that going back to Harry and Ginny was like a death wish, but couldn't bear the thought of leaving one of her best friends to face the enemy alone.

"Ronald Weasley," Hermione yelled as she chased after him, "If you think I can carry your sister to safety by myself, you are sorely mistaken."

As she rounded the corner she had seen Ron head towards seconds before, her heart dropped. Mere meters down the corridor, Ron struggled to fight off a handful of Death Eaters. Because of her yelling, she lacked the element of surprise.

"Stupefy!" Many of the Death Eaters had their shields up by the time Hermione cast the stunner. Those who didn't weren't in the line of fire.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione shot another spell as she ducked to avoid a Cruciatus Curse sent by one of the masked enemies. Her spell hit one dead on.

"Expelliarmus," Ron shouted, rendering another wandless. The small attack now seemed fairer with only three Death Eaters to fight.

"Rictusempra!" Hermione shouted not a second too late. It hit one of Voldemort's men as he tried to perform the Killing Curse on Ron. Instead, he had to deal with the tickling sensation that occurred all over his body.

"Crucio!"

Ron screamed as Hermione fell to the ground in pain. The two remaining Death Eaters began laughing as they watched Hermione twitch in pain. The pain was worse than anything she had experienced in her life. It was more agonizing than any curse she endured while looking for Voldemort's horcruxes and more heartbreaking than being attacked by ten Dementors. The screams filled her ears and even though they were just her own, she imagined hearing the shrieks of all the others who had experienced this pain and let herself cry for them too.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Hermione could barely make out Ron's voice through her screams. She could not tell if Ron had hit his mark, but hoped with all she had that there was only one Death Eater left. She thought of Neville and what had happened to his parents as a result of the curse she was currently under.

"No," she screamed. The Death Eater laughed again.

"Stupefy," Ron shouted. This time Hermione knew Ron had been successful. She continued shaking on the ground for several seconds before being able to sit up.

"I'm sorry I left you," Ron admitted, "but really Hermione, we can't go back to Harry."

"Ron! How can you just leave your sister to die like that?"

Ron let out an angry huff and let his shoulders fall in defeat. Hermione attempted a smile, but the memory of the pain still lingered in her mind, forbidding her to do so.

"Let's hope they still have a chance."

The duo cautiously retraced their steps only to find a nearly deserted hallway. Harry and Voldemort were gone. Luckily, Ginny lay untouched.

"What now?"

Hermione wasn't sure. She knew it was her duty to help her friends, but had not planned out how they would do so. She wished Harry was there to come up with a plan for them.

"We have to take her with us."

"And leave Harry?"

"Don't mock me Ron! It wouldn't be safe to go after Harry now. We have no idea where he is!"

And so the two made their way up to the seventh floor corridor, carefully carrying Ginny with them. They hoped their journey would be easy, but unfortunately the Death Eaters were not so kind.

They ran into a group as they made their way up the moving staircases. Although they were several levels below Hermione and Ron, that didn't stop a battle from ensuing.

"Siptnario," one of the Death Eaters shouted causing the stairs they were standing on to crumble to pieces. Hermione leapt to the next flat right behind Ron.

"Petrificus Totalus," Hermione screamed. It didn't work.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron's attack didn't work either.

"What are we supposed to do?" Hermione asked. They stood on guard on the landing that lead to the sixth floor. "We can't keep climbing."

They continued shouting curses and spells at their attackers as they tried to come up with a plan to help them get to the Room of Requirement.

"I know!" Ron seemed excited. "Put a shielding charm up around you. Do you think you can hold Ginny?"

Hermione did as she was told.

"The levitation spell will just let me move you vertically, but if I do that, the landing to the seventh floor isn't too far away."

"What about you?"

"You'll get me once you're up there."

The two friends shot a few last stunners at the Death Eaters before they tried their plan.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Hermione began soaring through the air with her shield around her and stopped several inches above the landing. She encountered some difficulty as she attempted to anchor herself to the wall while still holding on to Ginny. Eventually, with a little guidance from Ron, Hermione was able to grab a candlestick holder. She used that to hoist her and Ginny to the landing.

"Good," Ron yelled.

"Put your shield up Ron!"

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Hermione began levitating Ron towards her. The Death Eaters seemed angered that two students had made it to safety. The rate of their spells increased.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Obliviate!"

"Sectumsempra!"

Luckily, the shielding charm was able to ward off all these spells. Ron finally slowed down a few inches above the seventh floor landing.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The shielding charm around Ron flickered before dying off completely and Ron's body went limp. Had Hermione not been levitating him, he would have fallen.

"No," Hermione screamed.

Hermione pulled Ron's body onto the landing and cast a weight-changing spell on him to make him easier to drag along. After a second of thought, she cast the spell on Ginny as well. She ran through the halls, past Gryffindor Tower, to the Room of Requirement.

Hermione passed the tapestry three times wishing for a room to keep her safe until the battle was over, but she couldn't stop other thoughts from slipping in.

"I need to fix this. I wish I could go back and save Ron. Why did this have to happen? I wish Riddle had never become Voldemort. It can't end like this!"

A door appeared and Hermione rushed towards it. She could already hear voices approaching. She walked inside, but was stopped as an invisible barrier blocked Ron's body from entering the room.

The voices were getting closer.

"Bloody hell," Hermione panicked. She tried as hard as she could to get Ron in the room. The voices were very close. "I'm so sorry Ron."

Hermione kissed Ron's cheek before gently laying him down on the cold stone floor and closing the door. She cast sealing and locking charms on it for safe measures and listened as the voices finally reached the doors and began throwing spells her way.

"Please, please just go away," Hermione murmured as she sat rocking back and forth, Ginny in her arms, "leave us alone."

To Hermione, it seemed like their pursuit to get to her lasted forever, but finally it stopped.

Hermione looked around the room she created. It was empty. The walls were bare and the room was void of any furniture. The only things that existed in the room were Hermione and Ginny.

And then suddenly, the door opened.

* * *

A/N: Don't forget to read and review! The more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to write the next chapter! 


	2. Awkward Meetings

"Has this always been here," Hermione heard a female voice ask as the door began to open.

"I've never noticed it," a deep male voice responded.

The door swung all the way open to reveal two Hogwarts students clad in some kind of Gryffindor uniforms.

"It's after curfew, please report back to your room," the girl said upon seeing Hermione, "You wouldn't want to get any points taken from your house."

Hermione, who had stiffened as she noticed the door knob moving, began shaking once again. She let Ginny fall limp across her legs and began crying into her hands.

The girl looked at the boy nervously.

"Should we take them to Madam Sanders?"

"Excuse me," the boy stepped forward, "why don't you come to the Infirmary with us."

He reached down and grabbed Hermione's shoulder. Her wand was out in a second.

"I'm not leaving this room. It isn't safe," Hermione insisted.

The boy looked to the girl quizzically.

"Is your friend okay?"

Hermione looked down at Ginny and began crying harder. Her face had lost some of its color and her fingers were beginning to get cold. But the soft rise and fall of her chest gave Hermione hope.

Hermione shook her head.

"What's your name?"

Hermione didn't notice how odd it was that a student didn't recognize the Head Girl. She was exhausted physically and emotionally.

"Where's Harry?"

"Harry who?"

"Harry Potter."

The two exchanged confused looks.

"Sweetie, I don't think there are any Potter's that go to this school. What year is he?"

"Seventh year. Everyone knows Harry."

The boy looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry; there is no Harry Potter here in seventh year. Why don't you tell us your names? Then we can take you two to the Hospital wing."

"Hermione. I'm Hermione and that's Ginny."

"Well nice to meet you Hermione. I'm Michael Turner,"

Hermione barely heard Michael ask Olivia to take the trunks with her before she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Hermione felt the warmth of the sun's golden rays spreading over her exposed skin. Yawning, she reached to the side of her bed to where her wand normally lay.

"Bugger," she said hoarsely upon realizing it wasn't there. She reluctantly opened her eyes and prayed that neither Parvati nor Lavender was around to see her morning hair.

"What's going on," she whispered as she looked around and noticed she was not in the seventh year Gryffindor dormitory, but instead the Hogwarts' Infirmary.

Hermione carefully removed herself from the bed and walked to the edge where Madam Pompfrey normally kept her patient's belongings. Oddly enough, a trunk full of possessions was there. None of the stuff belonged to Hermione, however. Nevertheless, she quickly changed into a set of robes she found.

"So there's nothing we can do," questioned a voice coming from the office. Hermione grabbed her wand, which she finally found tucked under the jumper she had been wearing the previous day.

"Nothing short of a miracle. The girl was hit with a blood curse and we don't know the caster. We'll be lucky if she wakes up again."

The voice was unfamiliar, but the words helped remind Hermione what had happened. She tried to prevent a cry from escaping her lips as she thought about what had happened to Ron.

The man who had asked the question moments before stuck his head out the door to see what had made the noise. Hermione luckily was quick enough to jump back in the bed and shut her eyes.

"Is someone here, Armando," the woman asked. Hermione couldn't think of any Death Eaters named Armando, but also knew of no Aurors or Order members with the name.

After she heard the conversation resume between the two people in the office, Hermione carefully crossed the room to another bed hidden behind curtains.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered noticing her friend's condition. Ginny's lips were a dark shade of purple and her skin was nearly as white as freshly fallen snow. She looked extremely sick.

"Ginny, we have to get out of here," Hermione said worriedly, "I don't know what happened, but it's not good."

Hermione stilled as she heard the two voices getting louder and noticed footsteps approaching. She waited impatiently for them to pass, but it seemed like they were heading directly for her. She quickly cast a disillusionment charm on herself and tried not to shiver as the cold spread over her body.

"What is your opinion on what we should do with them," Hermione guessed the man was referring to her and Ginny.

"I'm not sure. I'd like to speak with them before anything is decided," the woman explained.

"So would most," the man said, "Galatea and Clyde think we should get rid of them."

Hermione had to stop another cry from escaping her lips. The idea of being mere feet away from Death Eaters who most likely wanted to kill her was not pleasant. Hermione watched as a hand appeared at the edge of the curtain, ready to pull it open.

"Loraine, look," the man sounded worried, "Wasn't the other girl in that bed?"

Hermione grimaced as she realized the flaw in her plan.

"Let's go, she couldn't have gotten far!"

It turned out the flaw was actually a blessing in disguise as Hermione soon found the Hospital Wing cleared.

Hermione looked at Ginny. She wasn't sure if it was a trick of the eyes, but it seemed like she had regained some color. However, at the moment it wasn't important.

She cast a weight removing charm on Ginny and picked her up.

"We'll get to Hogsmeade and then I'll apparate us to the Burrow," she said to herself more so than to Ginny.

Hermione carefully moved Ginny to rest on her back, piggy-back style. She hoped it would draw less attention. She ran past the door and down the stairs. She quickly stopped to make sure no one was in the Entrance Hall before pushing open the Great Oak doors.

The sun's rays reflected off the morning dew creating a surreal glow. It was hard for Hermione to believe that such evil resided in such a beautiful place. She also found it difficult to believe that a battle had taken place on these grounds only hours before. She had no time to dwell on these thoughts though. She needed to get her and Ginny to safety.

Once outside, Hermione began a fast paced walk to the Whomping Willow. From there she planned to take the secret passage to the Shrieking Shack and apparate.

"Where is it?"

Hermione stopped roughly where the Whomping Willow should have been in wonder. The tree had disappeared all together. The secret passage could not be found either.

Hermione turned to head towards to entrance gates to the grounds and came face to face with a person.

The boy looked at her oddly. It almost seemed as if he was looking at Ginny instead.

Suddenly, he raised his wand.

"Locomotor Mortis!"

Hermione tried to jump to the side, but quickly found out she was not fast enough. She felt her legs lock in place. She looked down as she struggled to free them and gasped. She had forgotten to take the disillusionment charm off herself.

"Who are you," the boy asked as he pointed his wand in the general direction of Hermione's face.

He lifted the wand momentarily to shoot sparks up into the air.

"Who are you," he repeated.

Hermione looked longingly at the invisible patch where she knew her wand was. She could easily perform the counter curse, but she could not reach her wand without dropping Ginny.

"Good work Tom. Twenty points to Slytherin," Hermione noticed a man approaching from the castle. As he stopped in front of Hermione, she realized who he was.

"Professor Slughorn?"

The man looked relieved.

"Tommy, my boy, looks like it is just a student here. A very advanced student at that. Not many can pull off an effective disillusionment charm. Not even you."

The professor missed the malicious look that crossed the boy's face. He was too busy taking the charm off Hermione. Slughorn frowned.

"Why, it isn't a student," he realized, "Don't worry. I'll take care of this."

Tom nodded and began heading off.

"Wand please," the professor requested.

Hermione adjusted Ginny and reached into her pocket.

"Since when am I not a student," she asked the professor.

The man looked at her curiously.

"I see we have finally found the girl."

Hermione turned to see who had arrived and stood still. She was very familiar with the wizarding portraits throughout the school and knew very well who this man was.

"Headmaster Dippet," she questioned.

The man, who had initially looked angry, now seemed less threatening. A second later, any sign of anger was gone.

"Do you see that," Headmaster Dipped pointed in amazement just over Hermione's shoulder, "she's awake."

Hermione looked at Ginny and noticed her eyes blinking rapidly, trying to readjust to the light.

"What's going on," Ginny asked after several seconds, "was Slughorn given a dose of a Shrinking Potion?"

Hermione too noticed their professor's younger appearance.

"These girls are fabulous," Slughorn commented, "Do you know how difficult it is for my student's to understand that a Shrinking Potion reverses aging on living things rather than just making it smaller?"

The Headmaster looked unconcerned.

"Why don't we get you girls back inside," Dippet suggested.

Hermione was still nervous about trusting them, but followed. Ginny seemed very confused as she climbed off the older girl's back. She followed next to Hermione, leaning on her for support.

"What's going on," Ginny asked again as they waited for the gargoyle to take them to the Headmaster's office.

"I think something went wrong with our plan," Hermione whispered back seriously.

Hermione thought back to the conversation she had overheard earlier. If her assumptions were correct, they were still in trouble, but no longer in harm's way.

"The room made us safe," she muttered, "stupid bloody room."

Ginny looked shocked as she heard Hermione curse.

Hermione continued evaluating the situation. She realized the names mentioned earlier fit into her assumption as well. There was a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Galatea Merrythought and an Arithmacy teacher Clyde Hollywright. She remembered that Professor Slughorn had taught Potions during that time as well. All that was missing was Albus Dumbledore and a living Professor Binns to make Hermione believe without a doubt that she and Ginny had somehow traveled back in time.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ginny asked in shock. She quickly turned to Hermione, "What happened?"

There was much talk over the next few hours about what had happened. Hermione, upon seeing the date of September 2, 1943 on the Daily Prophet lying on Dippet's desk, had opted to tell a very vague story of what had happened. She left out important tidbits about time travel and who had attacked them. Ginny, still confused about what was going on, stayed relatively quiet, looking from one person to the next in wonder.

Throughout their time in the office, each of the occupants also noticed that Ginny was slowly relapsing.

"Excuse me." There was a knock on the already opened door and the boy who had cursed Hermione earlier peeked his head through the slit.

"Come in, Tom."

The boy emerged and the occupants of the room who had not turned to observe the distraction at first now did so.

"Girls, this is our Head Boy," the Headmaster began, but was cut off by Ginny.

"Tom Riddle," she whispered before fainting with a look of shock on her face.

Hermione looked nervously from Ginny to Tom to Dippet. The two males both looked utterly confused. Luckily Professor Slughorn broke the silence.

"Well Tom, I know some of the girls here adore you, but I've never seen such a dramatic reaction."

Tom sent a charming smile Slughorn's way which almost was convincing to Hermione. She, however, took notice to the lack of emotion in his eyes and immediately recognized it as a fake.

"Can we help you with anything Tom" Professor Dippet asked as Madam Sanders levitated Ginny out of the room. Hermione attempted to follow, but was gestured to stay seated.

"I just thought I'd offer my assistance," Tom explained confidently, "As Head Boy, I feel it is my responsibility to offer a hand in situations like these."

Hermione watched as the majority of the professors marveled at Tom's wonderful display of helpfulness. She had heard stories from Harry about how well-loved Tom was by his professors, but never believed it. Now, seeing the seventeen year old boy's act first-hand, she could understand how they were misled.

"Mister Riddle, we are currently deciding what actions need to be taken with Miss," Professor Dumbledore paused, "Why, I seem to have missed your name."

Each teacher looked at Hermione curiously, wondering how they could have failed to ask such a simple question.

"It's Hermione," she paused. Because of future events, she wasn't sure if she should reveal her real name to everyone, "Caldwell. Hermione Caldwell."

"Deciding what actions need to be taken with Miss Caldwell and her friend," Dumbledore continued as if he had never paused his explanation, "Should we need your assistance we'll be sure to send for you."

Hermione could sense the unease Dumbledore felt towards Tom. She watched as Tom nodded weakly and headed for the door. It seemed that even now Tom feared the Deputy Headmaster.

"Nonsense Albus. Let's have the opinion of a fresh mind," Slughorn interjected, "He is the Head Boy after all."

Tom turned around eagerly. His dark eyes were not able to mask his curiosity.

"Miss Caldwell's family was attacked by Grindelwald's forces. She and her friend seek refuge," Professor Dippet said.

Hermione wanted to laugh at how "we were attacked by dark wizards" had turned into the words the Headmaster had just spoken.

"Why can't they attend school here," Tom asked wisely.

"Unfortunately, they were home-schooled. Because of this, they have no records," Professor Merrythought told Tom.

Hermione knew she had lied entirely about being home-schooled, but couldn't think of any other explanation. Professor Dippet would be able to contact any specific school Hermione named.

"If she is able to perform at the appropriate level, why does it matter if we have records of her previous schooling?"

Hermione could almost believe that Tom was genuinely concerned with the issue. She looked at him carefully as the teachers continued to discuss what should happen. His lips curled into a smirk as he looked from one teacher to the next. Hermione imagined he thought them all fools.

"Or perhaps we should see if the Sorting Hat would sort her," Tom suggested after becoming bored with the teacher's light banter.

"A great idea," Slughorn exclaimed.

Hermione grimaced. If anyone could see through her charade it would be the Sorting Hat. Hermione remembered her sorting from first year when the enchanted hat read her mind.

"A wise idea, Mister Riddle," Professor Dumbledore said as he crossed the office to get the acclaimed hat, "I have no doubt that the Sorting Hat will know what to do."

Hermione was suddenly very worried about the opinion of the Sorting Hat. She didn't know what she would do if she was not granted stay at the school. She decided that the Room of Requirement was her only hope at getting back to the future and therefore understood the importance of remaining at Hogwarts.

Hermione sat calmly as Dumbledore placed the dusty, old hat upon her head and waited for a response.

"_Hello my dear,"_ the Sorting Hat greeted,_ "the sorting has already past."_

Hermione thought hard about how much she wanted to stay at Hogwarts.

"_I suppose I can sort one more," he mused, "but where should you go?"_

Hermione hoped that she would be sorted back into Gryffindor.

"_You exhibit traits that are perfect for each of the four houses,"_

Hermione couldn't imagine what Slytherin traits she possessed.

"_Can't think of any," _the Sorting Hat said with a laugh, _"you are deceiving all these people and trying to manipulate situations to work in your favor."_

Hermione wanted to complain to the hat, but was cut off.

"_Don't worry; you won't have a terrible time in _SLYTHERIN!"

Tom looked to Hermione and faked a smile. He had assumed that the hat wouldn't accept her or would sort her into Ravenclaw. He wasn't excited about having to deal with another Slytherin female. He believed all females weak and only necessary for pleasure and reproduction purposes. The other seventh year Slytherin girls were very unhelpful and pathetic. He marveled over how an entire year of girls was not able to meet the requirements necessary to be Head Girl.

"As you are in Slytherin, Tom will be able to show you to lunch and your dormitory," Dippet explained.

Tom watched Hermione nod unenthusiastically. She no longer seemed eager to attend school.

"Shall I show her to classes as well," Tom asked. He watched her face contort into a frown. He wondered if perhaps she wasn't a great student like Slughorn believed.

"Perhaps," Dippet agreed, "but first we will need to assess which classes she will be able to take. Not all students are able to take NEWT level classes in the subjects of their choice."

Tom nodded.

"Should I leave so you may continue then," he asked politely.

"You may. Please take Miss Caldwell with you and introduce her to the students," Dippet requested, "You may return her before your afternoon classes."

"Sir, I'm not very hungry," Hermione interjected. Tom believed he had caught her looking at him nervously before the comment.

He wondered what caused the emotion. Most students saw the Head Boy as a model student. The only ones who feared or felt nervous around him were those companions who knew what he was capable of.

"You are recovering from a traumatic event. I think it would be in your best interest to go have a bite to eat," Professor Slughorn advised.

The other professors looked at her with worry.

"No really," Hermione attempted, "I'll be fine. The Head Boy can leave for lunch and we can begin with my assessment."

Tom was losing his appetite because of the new girl's feelings of unease. Her lack of concern for her image and her weak character made him wonder how the girl had been placed in the Slytherin house.

"My dear," Dippet began, "The four of us must go to the Great Hall as well so we unfortunately cannot begin our testing."

"Follow me," Tom commanded gently upon realizing the discussion was over.

Hermione remained in her seat defiantly. The professors looked at her sadly, believing her stubbornness to be caused by her grief.

"We'll see you two in there," Professor Slughorn said as the four teachers exited.

Hermione did not move after the professors left. She simply sat staring angrily at a random patch of air.

She didn't understand what she had done to deserve this punishment. To her it seemed that in the past day she had lost everyone who meant anything to her in the worst possible way.

"Stand up, please" Tom commanded.

Hermione refused.

"The Slytherin house is a respected Hogwarts house that holds a certain reputation. Even first-years are expected to do their part to maintain the persona," Tom explained impatiently.

Hermione showed no sign of interest. Tom repositioned himself so that he was directly in front of her.

"I have worked hard to keep the goals of our Founder alive in each of my housemates. I understand that you just lost everything, but you are a Slytherin now and you must act like one."

Hermione found the lack of malevolence in his voice unsettling.

"Now stand up and stop acting like a child. You are to be strong and confident, ambitious and direct. You are to do as I say."

Hermione longed to be back with Harry and Ron. She almost smiled as she imagined one of them convincing her to eat instead of the monster before her. She could imagine herself standing up grudgingly, explaining to Harry or Ron that she really had to study and would stop by the kitchens later.

Hermione was a brain, but she wasn't quick to develop a plan like Ron or courageous like Harry. She tried to think of how they'd react.

Ron would nearly die of shock. Once he gained his senses back, he'd probably try to kill Riddle.

She realized Ron would not be the best person to handle this situation. She doubted that Harry would act rashly either.

_Luna,_ Hermione decided, _Luna might know what to do._

She decided her best plan of action would be to go along with things for now. If she acted on behalf of Harry and Ron, she could get sent to Azkaban.

She lifted her head and glared at the murderer.

"That's better," he said mockingly before starting out of the room.

_I don't care what Riddle says, _Hermione thought, _I'm not changing who I am so that Slytherin can still be known as gits._

Hermione followed behind, hoping that not all Slytherins were as dreadful as Tom, Draco and Pansy.

"What classes do you excel in," Tom asked as they made their way from Dippet's office.

Hermione was thrown off by the question. She didn't picture Riddle to be one for chit chat. It confused her though because she didn't know how to answer the question. While she knew the answer to the question was all subjects, she wasn't sure if she wanted to reveal this.

"I'm fairly proficient at them all," Hermione said, deciding that Tom could determine on his own what proficient meant.

"I'm sure there is a class you do better in than the others," he argued. He thought of the other girls in his year and realized that even those with the worst marks did a little better in one subject.

"No," Hermione countered, "I get similar marks in them all. My favorite class is Charms though."

Her response made Tom recall Edward Longbottom, a student he tutored a few years back. The boy received similar marks in all his classes and was a poor excuse for a wizard. He could get by, but just barely. He supposed Hermione was the same, and so it saddened him that she was in Slytherin. In his opinion, a true Slytherin was powerful and wasn't interested in silly classes like Charms or Astronomy. He believed the only important classes were Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

They walked a distance in silence before he spoke again.

"You should charm those jewels green. You'll get weird looks if you're walking around in Ravenclaw colors."

Hermione wasn't sure what Tom was referring to, but followed his gaze to the Ravenclaw comb in her hair.

"I can't imagine it matters much if you're wearing a little bit of another house's colors," she reasoned.

"Maybe some of the other houses could pull it off, but a Slytherin must be proud of their house. Wearing other colors gives the impression that you are not committed to this house."

Tom noticed the look on the new girl's face and had trouble containing himself. Nothing about this girl seemed Slytherin. Judging by his limited interaction with her, he believed her more fit for Hufflepuff. He knew she would get a hard time from his companions.

"For your own sake, you should really try to do as I say. You wouldn't want the students to disown you," he warned.

She didn't seem to care.

"I don't mind if you don't like me. There are three other houses full of students to make friends with."

That threw Tom over the top. Fortunately for Hermione, they arrived at the Great Hall doors.

"Tom," an oily looking girl called dangerously from behind.

Tom's face contorted into one of annoyance making Hermione curious.

"What do you want, Eileen," he asked bitterly.

Hermione felt at ease to finally hear Riddle sounding like he should. His hospitality towards her irked her and left her wanting his real personality to show.

"What are you doing with her?"

Hermione could detect jealousy in her words.

"None of your concern, Prince," Tom said in a calm voice, laden with threat.

"Stay away from him," the girl warned before walking into the Great Hall.

"Sorry about that," Tom said, turning to Hermione, "I'm afraid she fancies me a bit and I can't deal with it."

Hermione tried to be thankful for the few seconds of normalcy she had received, but found it difficult as she once again stood awkwardly with Tom.

"Anyway, follow me, we're right over here," Tom said and led her into the Great Hall.

Hermione looked around curiously as Tom instructed her to sit down next to him on the Slytherin bench. The hall, like everything else she had seen so far, was much like it had been in her time. She was happy that there were at least a few similarities between her time and this new one.

"Felix and Gilbert Prewitt! Turn my hair back to normal or else!"

Hermione looked across the room to where the shout came from. She watched a blue haired girl angrily chasing two red haired boys around the Gryffindor table.

Yes, she was definitely glad for the similarities.


	3. Calm Before the Storm

**Disclaimer:** None of the things in this story that appear in the Harry Potter book series belong to me. Only the original characters are mine.

A/N: Sorry this one took so long. Work has me so tired that by the time I get home, all I want to do is sleep. Hopefully the next chapter won't take this long, but I promise that no matter what, this will be the longest it will take. (Unless I'm on vacation or something bad happens, etc.) Enjoy and don't forget to read and review!

* * *

Tom escorted Hermione back to the Headmaster's office after they finished their lunch.

"Good luck," the boy wished Hermione unenthusiastically. He felt somewhat inclined to ask the Headmaster if he could help administer the testing, but resisted. He imagined watching Hermione do average on her practical examination would be about as entertaining as his History of Magic classes. He also just wanted to get away from her.

"Thanks," Hermione replied tartly.

Lunch had been somewhat entertaining at most, no thanks to Tom. Hermione found it amusing to look around the different house tables, trying to recognize various members of well known wizarding families. She was almost positive she saw a twelve-year-old version of Mad-Eye Moody sitting at the Gryffindor table. She was also very amused by the similarities between Draco Malfoy and his grandfather Abraxas. Like Draco, the boy was pompous and arrogant and acted like he owned the world. The infamous Malfoy smirk seemed to cover his face throughout the entire meal.

Surprisingly, Tom did not introduce her to anyone during lunch. He merely sat her down next to him in an unoccupied section of the table and began eating. As the hall filled, Hermione found herself in the middle of a group of second and third years. Hermione did receive many curious stares, but other than that, everyone seemed to ignore her. She had expected the other students to be far more curious about her arrival.

Hermione walked in and was surprised that only a few teachers were present. She wondered who was going to test her in the subjects if the professors were not present. She didn't believe Dippet was skilled enough in every class to be able to represent each teacher.

"We'll start with Transfiguration," Dippet explained, "Different professors will be in and out depending on when they have classes."

Hermione felt stupid for not realizing the professors couldn't all skip their classes for her.

The tests were reasonably simple and Hermione found herself flying through each question with ease. She felt guilty for having fun with the Charms assessment during which she enchanted a chair and a coat rack to waltz around the room. She knew she should be upset and grieving, but something about showing off her skills and being at Hogwarts made her temporarily forget her pain.

Hermione decided to take tests in the eleven classes she received OWLs in, minus Muggle Studies. She didn't think the Slytherins would treat her too well after finding out that she was interested in Muggles. Her final test, besides Potions, which Slughorn said wouldn't be necessary due to her excellent marks on the previous ones, was Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I'd like you to perform the following charms: a shielding charm, a disarming charm, a full body bind, and finally, your best attempt at a Patronus."

This was one of the unfriendly professors and Hermione was therefore glad she was able to show off in front of the woman. She was fairly confident that she would still be able to do perform a Patronus, even after all that had happened.

"Really Galatea, a Patronus? That is most definitely advanced seventh year material and even then, most students have difficulty getting a slight mist." Professor Binns seemed concerned, but Professor Slughorn's face lit up.

"There's nothing wrong with having a little fun. Let the girl try."

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at the power loving Slytherin. She hoped she wouldn't have to join the Slug Club after this performance. She mindlessly cast the first three spells with little effort. Dumbledore then tried one last time to stop her from having to do the last spell.

"With what Miss Caldwell recently went through, I don't think she would be able to perform the spell to the best of her ability."

"Oh Albus, just let her attempt it," Dippet asserted.

"If you ask her to perform it, shouldn't you first make sure she knows the correct incantation? Especially since it is beyond her current level," he asked. Hermione tried to catch his eye to explain it was okay, but it didn't work.

"Miss Caldwell, are you aware of what a Patronus is and how it is conjured?"

Hermione nodded her head.

"Good, you may continue."

Hermione tried to come up with her happiest memory, but as Dumbledore suggested, it was more difficult after having watched her friends die in the battle. Every happy memory she came up with involved Harry or Ron and thinking about them only led to painful thoughts.

Many teachers noticed the tears that were beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. They looked at Professor Merrythought angrily, but the woman didn't seem to notice.

Hermione tried as hard as she could to come up with a memory to coax the silver otter from her wand. Eventually, she came up with a happy memory that fit her mood.

"Expecto Patronum!"

She imagined the night in her first year when she was attacked by a mountain troll. Although it was a terrifying experience, it was one of the happiest of her life. It was the night she gained her first true friends. All her other happy moments resulted from that one night.

As she faintly smiled in remembrance, the silvery otter shuffled out of her wand and around the room. The professors all sat in disbelief at the power of the young witch, all the professors except Slughorn. His applause was deafening.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Professor Merrythought looked angry, "The Patronus spell is far more complex than any spell a beginning seventh year should know."

"The best offence is a good defense," Hermione recited sadly. If only it had worked for the Order. "You can never learn too much defense."

It surprised Hermione that it was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who was angered by her high level of achievement in the subject. She thought Professor Merrythought would be especially proud.

"Very well," the woman said sounding defeated, "you have the skill necessary to participate in N.E.W.T. level Defense as well."

Hermione smiled to herself.

Headmaster Dippet raised his wand and twirled it in a complicated pattern over a piece of parchment.

"That should do," he said handing the paper to Hermione, "the last class of the afternoon will be done in a quarter of an hour. Do you remember the way to the Great Hall?"

Hermione nodded before exiting the room. As she closed the door, she heard Professor Slughorn laugh and say that Tom was in for a surprise.

* * *

Instead of going to the Great Hall, Hermione headed up to the Infirmary. She believed that the shock of seeing Tom Riddle caused Ginny to pass out, but also theorized that the curse had started acting on her again.

"Madam Sanders," Hermione called after remembering the name of the current school nurse.

When no one responded after a few attempts, Hermione decided to just walk up to Ginny's bed. She hoped that maybe Ginny would be up and able to speak with her.

As she pulled back the curtain, she realized that this probably wouldn't happen. Ginny lie on the bed, as pale and still as she had become right after being hit with the curse. Hermione sank into the chair beside Ginny's cot.

"They sorted me Gin. I'm in Slytherin. Hufflepuff would have been better," she sighed after resting in the chair for several minutes, "What would Draco say?"

Hermione contemplated what their ferret friend would have said. She was caught between him laughing at how ridiculous the idea was and him being disgusted that he would have to share a house with a dirty Mudblood.

"I guess it doesn't matter, he's probably dead," she sat silently for a few more seconds, "I wonder what house you'll be in. Probably Gryffindor," she decided, "you're whole family fits the mould perfectly."

Hermione walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Ginny.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to help you and then we'll go back," Hermione reassured as she rubbed Ginny's arm. The back and forth rubbing pattern also helped soothe Hermione.

"Pardon the interruption," Hermione recognized the voice and internally groaned. Her moment of peace was gone, "I didn't realize dinner is now being served in the Hospital Wing."

"Dinner doesn't begin for another five minutes. I wanted to visit my friend first," she explained, upset that she had been disturbed.

He could tell that his presence annoyed her.

"Slytherins do not visit friends in the Infirmary. And they do not have friends that are in or will be in Gryffindor."

"But they do listen in on conversations I suppose," she retorted.

"Yes, I suppose we do," Tom laughed uncharacteristically, "Come on Caldwell, I'll let it slip this time, but we better hurry and get out of here before some of the others find out. They won't be as forgiving."

Hermione really didn't care if the other Slytherins found her in the Hospital Wing, but reluctantly said goodbye to Ginny and followed Riddle out of the room. She truthfully was a bit hungry after spending the entire afternoon being tested.

"How did it go," Tom asked, needing a laugh after a boring first day of classes, "Were you able to get into Charms?"

"I did as I expected," Hermione replied, deciding to keep him in the dark for a little longer, "I won't be taking all twelve classes offered, that's for sure."

"That's too much work for most people anyway. Even I'm not taking all twelve classes," he told her. This was mostly because he wasn't interested in all the subjects, however. There was no way he would be caught in classes like Astronomy or Muggle Studies. He wasn't surprised that Hermione wasn't enrolled in many classes though. Judging by what he had heard so far, he guessed the classes she would be taking were ones that he'd prefer not to.

Tom brought Hermione back to the empty section of the table where they had sat during lunch, but Hermione refused to sit.

"I'm going to go sit over there," Hermione declared, motioning to the group surrounding Abraxas.

"You can come with if you want," she added automatically.

Tom waved his hand, dismissing her offer and began filling his plate with food. He seemed to not care what she did.

"Hello," Hermione said as she sat down in the middle of the group of seventh years. She was answered with vacant stares.

"Can we help you," one boy asked, making the groups feelings of her arrival known.

"I guess not," Hermione responded upon recognizing the cause for the boy's tone. Nevertheless, Hermione stayed sitting and began loading food onto her plate.

The group continued their conversation once they realized Hermione wasn't going anywhere. They couldn't ignore her completely, however. Every few seconds, a different member of the group looked at her curiously before joining back in the conversation. Abraxas' stares were the most disconcerting, though. His eyes rested occasionally on her face, but more often on other parts of her body. She tried her best to disregard the stares and continue eating. She instead listened intently for names since it seemed no one would introduce themselves.

"I can't stand them," one girl said as she walked up to the table with a boy named Thaddeus, "I swear, if they send me one more note dusted with hair removing powder, they're going to wish they never messed with me."

Hermione followed her glare and found none other than Felix and Gilbert Prewitt. She had to stop the smile from spreading across her face. She could just picture the fair haired Slytherin girl screaming as she felt her hair disappearing.

"Luckily we were in Charms so Professor Sampson was able to grow it back quickly," Thaddeus explained. The girl, Emilia, was still shaking her head angrily.

The conversation continued as other Hogwarts students arrived in the hall and began recollecting on various moments of their day. Hermione noticed that much like Gryffindor, Slytherin had its own little groups within itself. While Abraxas' group was clearly the largest, there were smaller groups that sat on the outskirts. Lucinda Rogers and Esther Crouch seemed to be off in their own little world much like Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Victor Zabini and Troy Lewis reminded Hermione greatly of the friendship between Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. Unfortunately, the friendship between the various students was as far as the similarities went.

"New girl," a voice called out.

Hermione didn't notice as she watched Eileen Prince walk up to the seat across from Tom's. His face became cold as she began a conversation with the older boy.

"New girl," the girl called again.

Hermione finally heard and looked questioningly at the girl.

* * *

Tom had watched Hermione out of the corner of his eye until Eileen showed up. He knew Hermione's decision to move to Abraxas' section of the Slytherin table had not been a good move, but refrained from telling her. While not the least friendly group, Malfoy and his friends were far from welcoming. They also took much pride in their house.

"I see you told that girl to stay away from you," Eileen said as she sat down, "I knew you'd come to your senses eventually and see that we are meant for each other."

Tom looked at her in disgust.

"Go away Eileen," he warned, "go sit with your friends."

Eileen looked ready to kill. Tom knew perfectly well that Eileen didn't have any close friends. That fact was one that bothered Eileen greatly. However, only the sixth and seventh year Slytherin girls ever mentioned that in front of her. Tom usually never had to stoop so low as to remind her. Currently though, he wanted the greasy girl far away from him.

Eileen sent one more malicious glare his way before leaving.

Tom resumed watching Hermione. He was surprised that no one had sent her away yet. He was even more surprised when he noticed that during the few minutes Eileen had been sitting with him, Hermione had began talking with the exclusive group.

* * *

"What's your name," the girl asked Hermione.

"Hermione. Hermione Caldwell," she responded hesitantly before becoming quiet again.

"Adelie Pierson," the girl stated briskly and then added, "Come on."

Hermione stood up and started following the girl out of the Great Hall. She almost missed the smirk on the Slytherin's face as they walked away from the table.

"Where are we going," Hermione asked curiously. Hermione had been misled by Slytherins several times in her life, but doubted that they would treat another Slytherin the same as they would a Gryffindor.

"Just on a little tour, don't worry," she assured.

Hermione did worry though. As a Head Girl in her own time, Hermione knew it wasn't common practice to give new students tours of the castle. Students were expected to learn the ways of the castle by attending classes and wandering around with friends. Hermione only hoped this girl wasn't going to attack her.

"This is the Hospital Wing," Adelie pointed out as soon as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "and that gargoyle over there leads to the Headmaster's office."

Hermione relaxed noticeably at Adelie's words.

"This floor also has a few of the classrooms you'll probably be in," she explained and after a second of thought added, "What classes will you be taking?"

"Most of them actually," Hermione told, thinking it okay to tell her classmate, "but none of those rubbish classes."

They reached an area of the second floor that Hermione wasn't too familiar with. The corridor was only mildly lit and mildew covered the bare spots on the walls. The portraits were covered in spider webs that were so thick, you couldn't tell who the painting was of. Hermione began to wonder if she had made the correct decision by following the girl.

"Here we are," Adelie stated as they reached a section of the wall with slightly discernable portrait. A plaque said the wizard's name was Ignacio Bach and Hermione wondered what he was credited for.

She watched as the wavy haired girl stuck her wand into a mouse hole and whispered, "Colydamnex."

The wall moved forward revealing a tunnel that seemed to slide downwards.

"This is a highly unused passage to the Slytherin dungeons. Only the seventh years know about it," Adelie explained, "I'm supposed to jinx you and then push you down, but I think I'll just ride it down with you."

Hermione thanked Merlin that the Slytherins had chosen someone with a conscious to "tour" her around the school.

"It only goes to the girl's side though so make sure no boys know about it," she warned, "They can't make it into our rooms from the common room, but we all think they probably could from here."

Hermione nodded in understanding and walked behind the wall.

"I'll go down first, so you know it's not a trick or anything," Adelie said before joining Hermione and closing off the passage, "See you down there!"

Hermione waited a few seconds before following.

* * *

Tom was a little worried by the time he got back to the Slytherin common room. Headmaster Dippet had made it his responsibility to make sure Hermione made it to and from the Great Hall and now she was missing. He wanted to shout at her for trusting Adelie Pierson and following her out of the Great Hall.

Adelie was one of the more interesting Slytherin girls, although Tom still didn't believe she deserved the time of day. She came from a noble, pureblood family that could be traced back to the time of the founders, but didn't follow all the beliefs that many similar families shared. For instance, she didn't believe in pre-arranged marriages. Because of that, she was currently not on speaking terms with her parents who had arranged for her to marry Demetrius Hornsby. She also had formed a friendship with Thaddeus Yaxley, whose family the Piersons' did not get along with.

Still, Adelie was a Slytherin, and therefore prone to hexing people or luring them into traps. He hoped that this was not the case with Hermione. He didn't want to explain to the Headmaster why the new student was missing.

Hermione turned when she heard the door to the dungeons open. When she realized it was Tom, she made a disgusted face and went back to reading.

Tom let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"It really isn't wise to leave the Great Hall like that. You could have gotten lost," he explained before leaving to go down to the boy's dormitories.

"Why does he care," Adelie said.

Hermione just shrugged.


	4. I Solemnly Swear

**A/N**: Okay, are any of you guys in college? That is the only thing I can say to try to explain where I've been. Geez, twenty credit hours (5 of them lab hours) really does a person in. Throw in some psycho roommates that were so bad I had to get a new apartment and a case of kidney stones and you have my first semester of sophomore year!

The "Heart" which appears in this chapter is inspired/borrowed from the Dangerverse stories by Anne Walsh on this site.

* * *

Hermione treaded across the Slytherin seventh year girls' dormitory. She needed to go visit Ginny no matter what time it was or what the Slytherins would say.

She quietly snuck down the stairs to the common room. Unfortunately it wasn't empty. Abraxas Malfoy and Demetrius Hornsby sat close to the fire, discussing something that seemed to be important. Hermione quickly cast a disillusionment charm on herself before heading through the tunnel that would lead her out of the Slytherin dungeons. Just as her invisible body left the viewing range of the two boys, Hermione heard Tom's voice.

"Has anyone been down here," Tom said.

"No one," Abraxas said.

Hermione tried to make a quiet exit, but the grinding noise of the snake statue could not be silenced. Hermione quickly exited and waited to see what would happen. Sure enough, she heard foot steps approaching mere moments later.

"Malfoy, go to the Infirmary and see if any Slytherins are in there," Tom said, "Hornsby, patrol the corridors. If anyone from this house is out of bed, I need to speak with them immediately.

Hermione watched as the two boys obeyed Tom's orders without question. She was curious why Tom was so concerned with a missing student, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, she realized that this was about her.

_He sent them to the Infirmary_, she thought, _he knew I'd go to Ginny_.

"Where will you be, my Lord," Abraxas asked.

"I'll be waiting here," he said.

Hermione groaned. With the future dark lord guarding the door, there was no way she would get in unnoticed. She considered looking for the secret passage Adelie had shown her, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to find it and was worried she'd run into one of the boys.

Luckily, Tom decided to wait inside the common room, however, which allowed Hermione to get back inside. She only hoped Tom didn't decide to turn around. The tunnel was so small that he would run right into her.

Hermione had decided to just head back to her dorm before she noticed that Tom was walking towards the girls' staircase. She instead headed over to the fireplace.

"Why won't she just listen to me," Tom said to no one. He took a seat on one of the bottom steps of the staircase.

Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the effect of Tom's mistake. Water came pouring from the levels above, pushing Tom down the stairs. She swore she even saw one of the giant squid's tentacles ready to reach for the intruder.

Tom stood up indignantly and brushed himself off. He used his wand to clean up the water and dry off his robes. The spells did not get rid of the fishy smell that the water brought though.

Tom's face scrunched up in though and he looked at the entrance to the common room hard. After a few moments of deep thought, he turned and headed towards the boys' staircase.

"Thank you, Salazar," Hermione muttered under her break, "for producing an heir who can't smell the stand of fish."

As Hermione said the words, she heard a loud grinding noise similar to the noise the statues made when they moved.

_Maybe Tom put a spell on the entrance in case I cam back_, she reasoned.

She knew that if that was the case though, it would be someone else entering the common room. Although she was still invisible, Hermione turned to hide somewhere less in the open. As she did, she noticed that the fireplace had changed.

There was an opening very similar to the one Adelie had shown her earlier and there was a slide that seemed to fall deep below the common room.

Her curiosity got the better of her and Hermione carefully positioned herself to slide down the tunnel. As she left the landing, the fireplace closed. She hoped she hadn't made a mistake. She worried that her years of gallivanting around with Harry and Ron had not just led her into one of Riddle's traps.

Little did she know that Tom Riddle was just as confused as her about what was going on.

As the chute neared its end, all Hermione could see was green. She realized, as she fell down from the ceiling, that she was bout to land in a bed.

She lay stiffly in the bed for a few moments, listening for any noises. When she heard none, she cautiously got up. She was, indeed, in a bedroom, but what bedroom she was quite unaware. The room was filled with luxurious decorations of green and silver, but was bare of many things. It didn't look like anyone lived there. It didn't seem like anyone had even been there in a while.

There was a single door across from the bed. Hermione opened it and took in the room that she was now in. Unlike the bedroom, this room did not seem to favor any house. It was elegantly decorated in browns, silvers, and gold, and seemed to be some sort of common room.

Hermione noticed that the room was like a giant version of the entrance into the Department of Mysteries, only this one was cozier. She hoped this room didn't spin.

Doors aligned the walls of the circular room. She counted, there were eight doors including the one she had just exited. She opened the door to her right and was stunned. The room was filled with books. There was a desk and an assortment of comfy couches. She hoped to visit this room again soon. She went to the room across from the mini library next.

Once again, Hermione was at a loss for words. The room was a kitchen equipped with all the necessary tools to create the meal of one's choice. She undid the disillusionment charm. As she walked in, Hermione noticed hat she was a little hungry. She scourged through the refrigerator and cabinets for food, but found none. She finally reached a pantry.

Hermione thought this place couldn't shock her more, but she was wrong. As she looked inside the pantry, she found that it wasn't a pantry at all, but an entrance to the Hogwarts kitchens. She watched as the house elves scurried around.

"Mistress," one house elf said. He sounded shocked. Hermione was about to close the pantry door, fearful that whoever entered the kitchens would see her, when she noticed that the house elf was looking at her.

"Oh no, I'm not your mistress," Hermione said, "I'm just a student."

The house elf looked at her in disbelief. Some others looked on in interest too.

"Oh no, Madam," the elf said, "Me is Corky and me has heard the stories. You is our mistress."

Hermione noticed some of the other house elves nodding in agreement. Even years after S.P.E.W., Hermione still didn't feel right being in control of innocent creatures. She did not want to be rude, however.

"What stories, Corky," Hermione said.

"Oh, I is knowing," another one said, "Me was told all about the Masters and Madams who come from the door."

"You is wearing Madam's comb," Corky said excitedly.

Hermione felt at the comb in her hair and things became a little clearer.

"You think I'm Ravenclaw," she said, "No, no, I'm Hermione."

"Hermione Ravenclaw," the house elf said in wonder, "Me is Tootie. It is a pleasure to be knowing you."

Hermione wanted the house elves to understand that she was not a Ravenclaw.

"No, Hermione Caldwell," she said, remembering her new last name, "Look, I have this too."

Hermione pulled out the Slytherin necklace. The house elves' eyes became wide. Several 'awes' escaped their lips.

"You is knowing Master Slytherin," another house elf said, "My family was knowing the great Master Slytherin."

"Master Slytherin and Madam Ravenclaw are here together," Tootie said excitedly, "Me is going to make sure you have everything you need."

"I am not your madam," Hermione said again. The house elves still didn't believe here.

"Me is not able to wait until Master Slytherin comes from the Heart."

"The Heart," Hermione said, forgetting about debating with them, "What is that?"

"Why it is where you just came from, Madam," the third house elf said, "The Heart of Hogwarts. Me is Gus. I will be showing you, Madam."

He grabbed Hermione's hand and led her back through the pantry. Hermione motioned for Tootie and Corky to follow. The two house elves looked honored.

"The Heart," Tootie whispered in awe.

"The Heart is belonging to the Founders and it can take the Masters and Madams anywhere they is wanting to go," Gus said.

"How," Hermione asked.

"I is not knowing, Madam," Gus said.

Hermione looked to Tootie and Corky.

"Teeny says you jump," Tootie said. Corky and Gus looked as if she were insane.

"Well, thank you," Hermione said.

"Will you be coming back," Corky asked.

Hermione was thoughtful for a moment.

"If I figure out how to get back inside," she said.

"You thank the Founder," Tootie said excitedly.

"That's not all," Corky said. They acted like brother and sister.

"Sometimes you be needing to thank the Founder," Gus clarified.

Hermione smiled.

"Bring Master Slytherin next time," Gus said as the three house elves left through the pantry.

"Wait," Hermione said, "What if someone notices that the fireplace is changing?"

She heard one of them snap their fingers.

"They won't be seeing unless Madam Ravenclaw wants them to," Corky said and closed the door.

Hermione was tired. She retraced her steps back to the green bedroom.

She looked around and wondered how she was going to get out. The hole in the ceiling had disappeared.

"Just jump," she heard Tootie's voice say.

Hermione laughed and climbed up on the bed.

"I guess the Founders were kids at heart," she said before she began to jump.

After the third jump, the hole opened up and a strong force sucked Hermione back up the chute. It settled as she neared the fireplace.

Hermione was surprised to see Tom Riddle staring at the fireplace with great interest. She was even more shocked that he didn't seem to notice her step out of it.

She checked her watch and noticed that breakfast would begin in a few short minutes.

Hermione walked to the girls' staircase and went a few stairs up, waiting for the fireplace to close. When it did, she felt that people would be able to see her again.

"What smells like fish," Hermione said, holding back the smile that was threatening to form on her face.

Tom turned and Hermione could tell he was trying to hide his confusion.

"You're up early," Tom said plainly.

"I like my breakfast hot," Hermione said.

"This is a magical school," Tom said angrily, "the food is always hot."

She stifled a laugh as he muttered something about how a real Slytherin would never say such a stupid ting.

Hermione's walk to the Great Hall was a silent one. For some reason, Tom had decided to accompany her. He didn't say anything though.

"Hermione," someone called. Hermione turned to see who it was.

"Oh, hi, Adelie," she said.

"Where have you been," Adelie said, "You've been gone.."

She stopped mid sentence when she noticed the warning look on Hermione's face. It was a look that Tom would have been proud of had he seen it.

"I mean, you weren't there when I woke up," she finished.

Tom looked at the girls curiously.

"You must have just missed me," Hermione lied. She threw Adelie a slightly apologetic look.

"Tom," another voice called from behind them. Hermione turned with the others to find the greasy Eileen Prince advancing on them.

"I should go," Hermione said, remembering her last confrontation with Severus Snape's mother.

"No, I'm leaving," Tom said. He quickly walked off.

"What were you doing with him," Eileen asked threateningly, "I told you to stay away."

"Eileen," Adelie said, "She's not trying to take Tom from you. Right, Hermione?"

Hermione looked seriously at Eileen.

"Right," she said.

"I have an idea, Eileen," Adelie said. Hermione waited for some rude comment towards Eileen, but one never came.

"Hermione says she is taking most of the classes Hogwarts offers," she said, "Why don't you help me show her around."

"I doubt she's taking most of the classes," Eileen said haughtily, "Which ones don't you have?"

"Muggle Studies and Divination," Hermione said.

"And," Eileen said, "Which other ones?"

"That's all," she said.

Both Adelie and Eileen looked at Hermione worriedly.

"There must be a mistake," Adelie said.

Hermione looked at them in confusion.

"No one takes that many classes," Eileen said.

Hermione doubted this considering she went to school with Tom.

"Surely someone else is," Hermione said.

All three girls looked at Tom's retreating figure.

"No one," they said at once.

"Which ones," Hermione said, knowing they would know what she meant.

"Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, and Astronomy," Eileen said.

"She would know," Adelie laughed, "Eileen is our resident Tom expert."

"He's not going to be happy," Eileen said.

The threesome walked through the giant oak doors that led to the great hall.

* * *

For the first five minutes of class, Slughorn had questioned them about various potions they would be making throughout the year. Tom had been surprised to see Hermione's hand up when Slughorn asked the first question, but he realized that she didn't know how things worked at Hogwarts. She didn't know that Tom was the only one allowed to answer questions. What surprised him more, however, was that Slughorn called on her rather than him. The professor seemed very excited. But the biggest shock came when Hermione not only provided a correct answer, but a much more thorough one than he would have produced. Tom knew he would have to be aggressive.

"Can anyone give me the name of the luck potion," the professor asked.

Although she raised her arm casually, Hermione's hand still beat Tom's. It bothered him how she was beating him with such ease.

"Felix Felicis." She smiled as soon as Slughorn looked at her.

Tom glared at her from across the room. He noticed that Eileen, who was sitting next to her, was smiling to herself.

"Correct. And the boil creating potion," he asked.

"Bul," Tom began, but was cut off by Slughorn.

"Please Tom, wait your turn. Miss Caldwell, you may answer."

"Bulbadox Powder," she said before giving Tom a look that clearly said he should know better than to speak without being called upon. Eileen had to look away to hide her quiet laughter.

His eyebrows became furrowed in concentration. Most people had by now noticed the unusual behavior coming from Tom.

"Very good Miss Caldwell. Finally, can someone tell me the name of the most powerful love potion?"

"Amortentia," they shouted out simultaneously. Well, Tom shouted. Like everything else she did, Hermione said it effortlessly. Many people looked amusedly across the room at the Head Boy's odd behavior. They were also shocked by the new girl's intelligence.

"Excellent," Slughorn commended, "Class dismissed."

Tom intentionally bumped into Hermione on his way out of class.

"Don't try to make a fool out of me again, Caldwell," he said.

Hermione smiled politely and walked away with Eileen. Tom growled in frustration. He didn't understand why he couldn't elicit a response from this girl.

"Fascinating girl, is she not," Slughorn said as he approached Tom.

Tom wiped the frustration from his face and turned to nod at Slughorn.

"You missed quite a show during her assessment," Slughorn said merrily, "She produced a corporeal Patronus for Professor Merrythought."

Tom looked at the professor in disbelief.

"An intelligent girl, maybe more than you," he said before walking away.

Tom didn't believe it. He didn't know what she did to convince Slughorn she was actually skilled. He was just happy that he wouldn't have to put up with her in many of his classes. Tom decided that he would find whatever knowledge potion she was using and incriminate her.

* * *

Over two weeks passed since Hermione's class and the discomfort she made Tom feel almost made Hermione forget how worried she was about being in a different time. He still hadn't found out that she was taking more classes than him, but he did find out that she was in a great numbers of those he was taking.Hermione couldn't wait to see his reaction once he realized she was more knowledgeable than him.

Hermione read through Adelie's paper and realized that it was September 19, 1943. She laughed as she thought about how old she was. Depending on how one looked at it, she was either eighteen years old or negative thirty-six years old. She decided that, since no one else knew, today was a Ginny day. She hoped that Ginny would wake up.

Hermione excused herself from the Slytherin table after she was finished with her lunch and headed towards the Infirmary. She ignored Tom's glare as she walked out of the Great Hall.

"Madam Sanders," Hermione said as she entered the Hospital Wing.

The old woman came bustling out from her office to see who was there.

"Oh, Hermione, dear," she said, "How good to see you."

Hermione smiled.

"I'm afraid Ginerva isn't doing to well today," she explained.

"May I please see her anyway," Hermione said, "It's my birthday."

The Mediwitch smiled warmly at her and nodded her head.

"Hey Ginny," Hermione said as she walked in. She stopped momentarily when she noticed that Ginny's bed tray held a few tins of candy.

"Madam Sanders," Hermione called out, "Has anyone else been visiting Ginny?"

The Mediwitch peeked her head into Ginny's bed area.

"The Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster have," she said, "Other than that, I have seen no one."

Hermione looked at the candy and nodded. She knew that Professor Dumbledore had a sweet tooth and assumed that he had brought the treats.

"It's my birthday, Ginny," Hermione said after the older woman left, "I've never had one like this before."

Her eyes became teary as she thought about it.

"I wish Harry and Ron were here," she said, "We used to go to the library to my birthday. Did you know?"

Hermione looked pleadingly at Ginny.

"Please wake up," she cried, "I can't do this alone."

Tears began rolling down Hermione's cheeks and she knew she couldn't do anything to stop them. She hadn't cried since she and Ginny left the Room of Requirements. She scooted her chair closer to Ginny's bed and rested her head on the younger girl's stomach.

"I want to go home, Ginny," she cried.

After a long time sitting there, she heard footsteps approaching and tried to straighten herself up. She didn't want to get kicked out for being too loud and she didn't want to get yelled at by Tom – who refused to stop following her – for not acting like a Slytherin. It was neither of them though.

"Caldwell," the voice said.

Hermione turned her head to face Abraxas, no longer caring how she looked.

"Adelie is looking for you, she says," he began, but stopped.

"She's awake," he said in awe.

Hermione turned around to see Ginny's eyes wide open. She looked disgusted. Hermione didn't understand why.

"What's he doing here," she said.

Hermione followed her gaze and realized she was looking at Abraxas. She had forgotten that Ginny did not know much about what was going on. He walked off quickly at Ginny's words, but Hermione swore she could see a little confusion in his eyes before he left. She brushed it off.

"Hey, Ginny," Hermione said.

Ginny stretched and rubbed her eyes.

"Happy birthday," she said.

"You heard," Hermione asked.

"I hear everything," Ginny said, "When you're around at least."

Hermione thought about that for a second, but couldn't think of anything to explain it.

"Where are Adelie and Eileen," Ginny asked.

Hermione couldn't believe that Ginny had actually heard what Hermione had told her in the past few weeks.

"I'm not sure, Abraxas says they're looking for me," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded.

"I bet they want to give you your presents," she said before laughing, "I can't believe you're friends with Snape's mum."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hermione," Adelie called. Hermione heard her walking towards Ginny's bed area.

"Hermione," she said, "Why didn't you tell us it's your birthday?"

A moment later, Eileen stepped past the partition as well.

"She doesn't like celebrating," Ginny said.

The two girls looked surprised that she was awake.

"Well, she's going to have to get over that," Adelie said, "Thad is already preparing for the party."

Hermione looked horrified.

"I have a better idea," she said. The girls smiled evilly.

"No really," Hermione said, "You'll like it."

The girls looked to Ginny for help.

"She really never comes up with good ideas," Ginny said. Hermione glared, "She's usually the one to turn them down."

The girls laughed.

"No, Gin," Hermione said, "This one's good, I promise."

Ginny's face showed how much she didn't believe her friend.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," Hermione said.

"I change my mind," Ginny said quickly. Adelie and Eileen looked confused. "I don't know what she's up to, but I can promise it's going to be good."

"Fine," Eileen said hesitantly, "But if we don't like it, we're having the party."

Adelie signaled for Hermione to leave with them.

"Hold on," Hermione said. She reached around her neck and undid the clasp to the Slytherin necklace. "I told the boys that this should have belonged to you. Think of it as a late birthday present."

Hermione fastened the necklace around Ginny's neck and hugged her friend.

"Don't forget to come by and tell me what you ended up doing," Ginny said demandingly.

Hermione smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be back."

* * *

**A/N **(again): I promise I'm really going to try to update this at a more constant rate. Home football games are over so that part of my weekends is pretty freed up. Plus, I'm super excited about what's going to happen next! 


	5. Author's NoteQuestion

Hey everyone

Hey everyone. Long time, no update, right? I am a busy college student. That is my only excuse. In my opinion, it's a pretty good excuse, but maybe not to you. Anyway, now that it has been quite a while since I have updated, I was wondering your opinions.

I am considering coming back to this story. I would start from 'scratch.' Basically, it would be the same story so far, just with more editing, and then…. I would add more! Would any of you still read? Let me know in comments! I have other stories on other websites that I would focus on otherwise, so let me know!


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